Senator BYRNE
-Thank you, Mr Chairman, I have taken over for a few minutes in the absence of Senator McManus. I understand the position. Senator Rae opposes clause 16 of the Bill. We support Senator Rae in that proposition. There is an unfortunate tendency today to believe that the proliferation of boards and committees can achieve all possible successes and can resolve every problem. That of course is a very dangerous belief and one which experience has shown operates in the contrary direction. As Senator Rae has said, the newly constituted Commission with its new type of representation and the increase in its numerical strength will have an opportunity to make close and continuous contact with the areas, geographical and otherwise, of education which it is its province to investigate and which would be its matters of great concern. '

I cannot believe that boards of this kind operating in this context would necessarily prove effective. Senator Rae said that experience has shown and does show that if the Commission finds it difficult to keep that close contact which is necessary the matter may have to be reconsidered. But I should imagine that the effect of the interposition of a board such as this would be to make the Schools Commission even more remote, that is the real danger because undoubtedly where an intermediary is introduced, the remote body will undoubtedly rely upon the information which comes from the intermediate body and if it were to trespass upon that field it might find a local resentment that it is intruding in an area which this other body regards as its province. We could therefore imagine that the Schools Commission might finally emerge only as a repository of filtered information that came to it from the series of boards which operate in these geographic areas.

We acknowledge the concept has stemmed from good faith and an attempt to improve the position but it is our firm and unprejudiced belief that it might have the contrary effect. Senator Rae has indicated that he and his Party are opposed to it and that the Opposition is opposed to it. We of the Democratic Labor Party feel that in all circumstances opposition is warranted and therefore we support the stand which has been expressed by the honourable senator.